KOCHI: Cardinal Mar George Alencherry on Monday inaugurated the 27th Synod meeting of Syro Malabar Church at St. Thomas Mount, Kakkanad. While addressing the gathering, the Cardinal sought the support of Synod members in resolving the crisis in the Church.
He asked the member-bishops to actively participate in the discussions. It has been decided to give top priority to deliberate on issues prevailing in the Ernakulam - Angamaly archdiocese, during the Synod session.
Cardinal Alencherry also called for the active involvement of all dioceses in flood relief and rehabilitation activities. Monsignor Mithya Leskovar, first councillor at Apostolic Nunciature in India also addressed the Synod.
The two-week-long Synod is attended by 56 bishops of the Syro Malabar Church.
Meanwhile, World Christian Council(WCC), a laity organisation, urged the Synod to recommend disciplinary action against Mar Jacob Manathodath and dissident priests for making misguiding statements regarding removal of the apostolic administrator and reinstatement of Cardinal Alencherry.
Kennedy Karimbinkalayil, president of WCC, told mediapersons that Bishop Manathodath is making a baseless statement that the Vatican's decision to reinstate the Cardinal is not based on his inquiry report. "Former presbyters' council secretary Father Kuriakose Mundadan has posted a note on social media saying that the laity need not take the Vatican's decision seriously as it is not based on the inquiry commission's report. Bishop Manathodath justified Mundadan's note by adding that the Vatican is yet to take action based on the probe report. His statement is to trigger the disputes within the Church which were settled down by the Papal intervention," he alleged.
